Creative Thinking Techniques for Effective Problem Solving

If you are a naturally creative person, even the idea of discussing creative thinking skills may seem odd to you. Creative thinking is, surely, something that happens naturally - for many creative people.

Given enough time, space and a clear enough brief, creative ideas will usually flow in to help you solve the presenting problem.

But what if you don't consider yourself to be a creative thinker, and you’re not even sure what is the real problem you need to solve? What if you struggle to even understand what it means to be a creative thinker?

Do not despair! With the right strategies, exercises and constraints, you too can train yourself to think like the successful creative thinkers of our times.

Creative Thinking is for Everyone!

Creative thinking is the ability to expand our thinking beyond our ordinary, everyday cognitive reality and tap into extraordinary moments of clarity, problem-solving, innovation and invention.

The art of creative thinking is not as mysterious as many would have us believe. It does, however, require a degree of open-mindedness.

Creativity is often viewed as the domain of a gifted minority rather than a quality that all human beings possess. This could not be further from the truth. We are all capable of creative thinking.

Creative ideas don't only visit the artists, poets, dreamers, and mystics among us. Creativity can be applied in almost any arena, for a vast range of purposes.

The benefits of creative thinking are clear in art, music, science, literature, and many other fields, but how do we apply it to business?

Human creativity is a fascinating subject, and the creative process is unique to each individual. However, here are a few of the techniques that are widely recognised as being useful for encouraging creative thinking.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming involves focusing on a problem and allowing the mind to come up with as many solutions as possible. In group brainstorming sessions, a time limit is often set. In that time, all team members are asked to offer their suggestions without censoring themselves, even if they think their ideas may sound silly.

When flying through the sky in a machine was first suggested it probably sounded fairly absurd, but if that absurd idea had never been voiced and acted upon, we might never have gained access to air travel!

You might want to start your brainstorming session with a question that's less threatening than how to solve your company's most pressing sales and marketing problems. Ask the team to solve a problem that's fun at first. For example, "What items do we need for a capsule wardrobe that would fit neatly into a backpack?"

Starting with a low-pressure task will make it easy to move on to the more urgent topics. Using a warm-up will give team members a chance to see that they won't be judged for their suggestions. They may relax even more when they realise how much fun this kind of collaboration can be.

Most creative people would agree that some of their best ideas come to them when they are relaxed. So, try to make brainstorming sessions as stress-free and fun as possible.

Mind Maps

Mind mapping is a technique that involves writing a central issue on a board and drawing a circle around it. Each new idea related to this central theme is then written around the initial idea and connected to it by a single line. Lines are then continued outward, connecting new ideas and circles to the original theme.

In this way, the team is able to construct a visual map of ideas, using a sequence of lines and connected circles.

This technique allows all team members to see how their thoughts and ideas relate to each other. It enables them to tell a story of possibility, creativity and innovation. It takes ideas out of the mental and conceptual arena and makes them visual and workable.

Mood Boards

Mood boards are similar to mind maps, in the sense that they are another visual technique. The main difference is that they are more abstract and may allow for more creative freedom.

A mood board starts with an idea or central theme, for example, fashion designers and interior designers often use mood boards to create themed decor or style a new clothing line.

This technique involves covering a large board with words, pictures, colours, shapes, and symbols to create the look, style, impression, and general mood of a chosen theme.

Improvisation

There are so many improvisation techniques that it's impossible to name them all. There are many great books on improvisation, and you'll easily find exercises and videos of improvisation classes online.

Improvisation forces the mind to be creative, as nothing is scripted in advance.

You may be given a scenario and character motivation, but the rest is up to you. You are essentially scriptwriting in real-time. I defy any team member to say they're not capable of thinking creatively after an afternoon of improvisation.

Group Storytelling

This popular theatre technique is a form of improvisation that can be carried out with all team members seated in a circle. In this exercise, team members write a story together, using only verbal skills and imagination.

The facilitator might offer the first line, for example,

On hearing the first roll of distant thunder, she pulled her coat around her aching bones, as she watched the train slowly leaving the station."

Moving around the circle, each group member then offers the next line of the story. Once again, team members should be encouraged to have fun and say whatever comes to mind.

Roleplay

Roleplay is a technique that is often used by therapists and coaches. Acting out difficult scenarios in advance (for example, interviews or stressful conversations with family members) is fairly common.

Using role-play to act out situations that may have already occurred within a business context can also be valuable.

By replaying what happened and re-working the scenario with different outcomes, team members can engage their creativity to problem solve customer service issues or identify areas of disconnection within the team.

Benefits of Thinking Creatively

Problems cannot always be solved by logical means. The mind just doesn't operate exclusively in a logical way.

Effective problem solvers are not always the ones who sit at a desk wringing their hands or drumming their fingers nervously on a keyboard. They are often the ones who know how to switch off and allow the ideas to come while they're at play.

If you're not used to working in this way, some of these ideas might seem a bit strange to you but if you want to become better at solving problems, try to keep an open mind, literally.

Many Nobel prize winners meditate, dream and detach when faced with a problem, rather than worry, fret or agonise over it.

These are just a few creative thinking techniques. Many others can be employed to great effect, both individually and in group settings.

Click here to find out how Group Partners use STRUCTURED VISUAL THINKING™ to encourage creative thinking using fun and effective problem-solving techniques.